Shoe-cleaning and blackening device.



No. 856,863. PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907. G. G. GRINER.

SHOE CLEANING AND BLAGKENING DEVICE. APPLIOATION FILED Mn 18,1906.

CALVIN C. GRIN ER,

OF MACUNGIE, PENNSYLVAN SHOE-CLEANING AND BLACKENING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

Application filed May 18, 1906. Serial No. 317,577.

To all 101 7107721 it 'nuty concern:

Be it known that I, CALVIN (J. GRINER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Macungie, in the county of Lehigh and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe Cleaning andBlackening Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to improvements in shoe cleaning and blackeningdevices, and more particularly to devices for applying liquid polish toshoes.

The invention comprises the production of a blacking distributing meansformed with a sponge receiving portion and means for supplying blackingto the same, and a cap for covering the sponge when not in use.

The object in view is the production of a blackening apparatus that isadapted to dis tribute blaeking to a plurality of shoes and to be fedfrom a suitable source so as to secure the advantages of a fountainbrush.

YVith this and other objects in view, the invention comprises certainnovel construc- 'tions, combinations and arrangements of parts, as willbe hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a part of aroom having se cured to the walls thereof an apparatus embodying thefeatures of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through ablacking distributing means embodying the features of my invention.

In the manufacture of shoes it is necessary after the same has beencompleted to coat the shoes with some kind of blacking and many deviceshave been provided for accomplishing this result with more or lesssuccess.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a devicethat will be continuously supplied with blacking and that will be soarranged as when not in use to be sealed comparatively air-tight toprevent the blacking fluid from evaporating or hardening.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention I provide a suitable tank as1, in which is placed any desired kind of blacking. The tank 1 may beplaced at any convenient point, preferably a considerable distance abovethe place where the shoes or other articles are to be operated upon, sothat suffisuitable tube 2.

cient pressure may be given to the fluid to supply the same as rapidlyas desire d through a The tank 1 is provided with a valve, as 3, whichis used to shut off the supply of blacking when the device is not beingused.

Connected to the valve 3 is a suitable hose or pipe 2, preferably ofthin rubber so as to be light in weight and adapted to be moved aboutwith little inconvenience. The pipe or tube 2 may be of any convenientlength and simply permitted to lie upon the floor or, as shown in Fig.1, placed upon hooks, as 4. Connected to the end of the tube 2 is ablacking distributing device 5. The blacking distributing device 5 ispreferably made up of a handle-shaped portion 6 through which a suitableaperture or passage 7 is provided. At one end of the handle portion 6 isprovided a reduced portion 8 upon which is secured the tube 2. At theend opposite the reduced portion 8 is provided a hollowed out portion,as 9, and a threaded portion, as 10. Secured to the handle portion 6 isa sponge receiving portion 11. The sponge receiving portion 11 isprovided with a hollowed out portion, as 12, in which is positioned asponge, as 13, which projects a suitable distance beyond the end ofportion 11 so as to readily impinge against shoes or the like upon whichthe same is used. The portion 11 has a reduced threaded portion, as 14,which fits into the threaded portion 10 of the handle 6, and is providedwith an aperture 15 communicating at one end with the hollowed outportion 12 and at the other with apertures 16 and 17. Formed upon theend of the threaded portion 1 1 is a reduced portion 18 which ispositioned directly opposite the opening or passage-way 7 so that liquidpassing through the passage-way 7 will impinge against the portion 18and be compelled to travel around the same, and finally escape throughthe passage-ways 16 and 17. The sponge 13 is preferably held in place bya suitable pin, as 19, which passes entirely through the portion 11.

The portion 11 is threaded at 20 for receiving a threaded cap 21. Thethreaded cap 21 is hollowed out, as at 22, so as to form ample space foraccommodating the end of the sponge 13. The cap 21 is adapted to beplaced upon the portion 11 so as to cover the sponge 13 and prevent theatmosphere from absorbing the liquid therefrom and consequentlypreventing the blacking contained in the sponge from hardening forming acrust on the outer surface thereof.

In operation, when it is desired to use the device, the valve 3 isturned on and the liquid is permitted to pass from the tank 1 throughthe pipe 2, through the passageways in the distributing device 5, untilthe same reaches the sponge. The sponge will absorb a considerableamount and hold the same, and also will prevent any more liquid frompassing through the pipe 2 until some has been removed from the sponge.After the sponge has thus been saturated the same is ready to be appliedto shoes or anything else that it is desired to be coated with theliquid. The cap 21 is then removed and the distributing device 5 ismoved over the device to be blackened, the sponge 13 impinging againstthe same and distributing liquid evenly over the surface thereof. Bythus having a constant supply of blacking for the sponge 13 an evencoating is given to the shoe or other device being blackened. This isnot possible where the blacking distributing device is placed in ablacking fluid and then removed to be applied to the shoe. In thisinstance, where the blacking distributing device is first appliedreceives the majority of the blacking where the last place probablyreceives a considerable less amount. As will be evident my improveddevice will furnish an even coating over the entire surface of the shoe.

I have described my device as particularly.

adapted to the use of blackening shoes and also in the blackening ofshoes after the manufacture, but it will be understood that .materialwithin the sleeve,

I consider it within the scope of this invention to use the device inblackening shoes any time and at any place. It is also within the scopeof the invention to use the device for coating other things as well asshoes.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the class described, a handle having a longitudinalbore, and with a socket formed in the end and in communication with thebore, a sleeve inserted within and having passages communicating withthe socket, a pervious material within the sleeve, means to maintain thepervious material in position, a tube communicatin with the bore of thehandle, and means a apted to supply a fluid to the tube.

2. In a device of the class described, a handle having a longitudinalbore, and with a socket formed in the end and in communication with thebore, a sleeve inserted within but not filling the socket, and havingpassages communicating therewith, a pervious a pin inserted through thesleeve and adapted to maintain the pervious material in position, a tubecommunicating withthe bore of the handle, means adapted to supply afluid to the tube, and a closure proportioned to embrace the sleeve andthe pervious material.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CALVIN C. GRINER.

Witnesses J. H. BEIDLER, A. E. MoYnR.

